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Birmingham Bulls (SPHL)

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Birmingham Bulls
CityPelham, Alabama
LeagueSouthern Professional Hockey League
Founded2017
Home arenaPelham Civic Center
ColorsRed, black, grey, white
       
General managerJoe Stroud
Head coachCraig Simchuk
Websitewww.bullshockey.net
Franchise history
2017–presentBirmingham Bulls
Current season

The Birmingham Bulls are a professional ice hockey team in Pelham, Alabama, that began play in the 2017–18 season as a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The team is named after the previous Birmingham-area teams in the World Hockey Association and East Coast Hockey League.

History

In 1992, Art Clarkson obtained the rights to an East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) franchise for Birmingham and named it after the former World Hockey Association team, the Birmingham Bulls. However, he sold the ECHL team in 1997 and it eventually relocated in 2001. In early 2017, Clarkson began proposing a new Bulls team to begin play due to the increased presence of hockey in the area.[1] Due to arena issues, the team could not play at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex like the other former teams, but instead settled on the smaller Pelham Civic Center in nearby Pelham, Alabama, in February 2017.[2] The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) announced its approval of the Bulls as an expansion team on April 26, 2017.[3] Longtime ECHL Bulls' player Jamey Hicks was named as the inaugural head coach and director of hockey operations.

In their inaugural season, the team finished second-to-last and missed the playoffs. In their second season, the team improved and had the second best regular season record in the league led by the SPHL's most valuable player Josh Harris, goaltender of the year Mavric Parks, and coach of the year Jamey Hicks. Birmingham advanced in the 2019 playoffs to the championships, but were defeated by the defending champion Huntsville Havoc. After the season, Art Clarkson stepped down as the managing partner of team[4] and died later that year.[5]

The 2019–20 season was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, head coach Jamey Hicks resigned before the 2020–21 season in order to remain in Canada but was still a consultant for the team. He was replaced by Craig Simchuk.[6]

References

  1. ^ Walsh, Lauren. "Former Birmingham Bulls owner sets sights on Pelham for professional hockey team". ABC 33/40. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  2. ^ "Pelham council approves ice arena lease for professional hockey team". WBRC. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  3. ^ "Birmingham Bulls to Join SPHL for 2017–18". Arena Digest. April 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "Art Clarkson Leaves the Birmingham Bulls". OurSports Central. May 31, 2019.
  5. ^ "Legendary Birmingham Sports Promoter Art Clarkson Dies". Birmingham Watch. October 8, 2019.
  6. ^ "Bulls Name Craig Simchuk Head Coach". OurSports Central. November 25, 2020.
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